Jim was approaching his house when a small bird fell out of its nest
and landed right at his feet. The bird landed on the hard and rough
road with a soft thump, giving Jim a rude shock. Jim abruptly side-stepped
and bent down to inspect the bird. He was surprised to find that it
was not just any ordinary bird, but a reddish-brown, baby owl.
Jim looked up and saw a tall Angsana tree from where it must have fallen.
He had always thought that perhaps sparrows and ravens would live
around his housing estate, but an owl bemused him. Nevertheless, there was no time to stare and
gape at his find.
The owl was injured and he needed to care for it immediately. The
fragile creature
laid unmoving in Jim's palm as Jim carried it back to his house.
After wrapping the baby owl's wounds, Jim proceeded to feed the owl.
He did not exactly know what owls feed on, but he thought some
milk and small bits of soft papaya would help. It took him a week of
constant attention and care to nurse the owl back to health. It even grew
a little larger during that short span of time.
When Jim thought that the owl was all better to fly, he brought it to
his front gate and released it. To his surprise, the owl circled the area,
flapping its gorgeous but inexperienced wings and returned to
perch on Jim's gate. When the same
thing happened in the following days, Jim knew that he had found himself
a loyal and magnificent pet owl. He name it `Auburn' because of its colour.
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